Climate Change: Has Climate Become More or Less Favorable for Growing Corn Over the Past Century?
2008
Runge, E. C. A. | Benci, John F.
Corn yield and production varies from year to year depending on the favorableness of weather during the growing season. Weather records were used to simulate corn yields from 1922-2002 for 11 Corn-Belt land grant university locations, for four different planting dates, and for three different amounts of plant-available stored soil moisture at or near planting time. Weather data were selected to have corn tassel on 24 June, 8 July, 22 July, and 5 August. Results from this study were combined with a previous study and corn yields simulated for Urbana, IL (1903-2002); Lafayette, IN (1901-2002); Ames, IA (1901-2002); Columbia-Fulton, MO (1901-2002); and Lincoln, NE (1922-2002). Corn yields increase for all sites for the combined study indicating that rainfall and maximum air temperatures have become more favorable for growing corn over the past century. This is the first study reporting yield data for the past century with a fixed technology for growing during the entire period studied. Data for sites not presented are available by request from the corresponding author, E. C. A. Runge.
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